ESSA YS CIVIL AND MORAL. 83 



points of praise, that a man may justly hold it a suspect. Some praises 

 proceed merely of flattery ; and if he be an ordinary flatterer, he will 

 have certain common attributes, which may serve every mai ; if he be 

 a cunning flatterer, he will follow the arch-flatterer, which is a man s 

 self ; and wherein a man thinketh best of himself, therein the flatterer 

 will uphold him most : but if he be an impudent flatterer, look, wherein 

 a man is conscious to himseif that he is most defective, and is most 

 out of countenance in himself, that will the flatterer entitle him to per 

 force, spreta conscientia. Some praises come of good wishes and 

 respects, which is a form due in civility to kings and great persons ; 

 laudan do prce riper e ; when by telling men what they are, they repre 

 sent to them what they should be. Some men are praised maliciously 

 to their hurt, thereby to stir envy and jealousy towards them : pessimum 

 genus inimicornm laitdantium ; insomuch as it was a proverb amongst 

 the Grecians, that he that was praised to his hurt, should have a push 

 rise upon his nose ; as we say, that a blister will rise upon one s 

 tongue that tells a lie. Certainly moderate praise, used with oppor 

 tunity, and not vulgar, is that which doth the good. Solomon saith, 

 &quot; Me that praiseth his friend aloud, rising early, it shall be to him no 

 better than a curse.&quot; Too much magnifying of man or matter, doth 

 irritate contradiction, and procure envy and scorn. To praise man s 

 self cannot be decent, except it be in rare cases : but to praise a man s 

 office or profession, he may do it with good grace, and with a kind of 

 magnanimity. The cardinals of Rome, which are theologues, and 

 friars, and schoolmen, have a phrase of notable contempt and scorn, 

 towards civil business ; for they call all temporal business, of wars, 

 embassages, judicature, and other employments, sbirrerie, which is 

 under- shcri (Tries, as if they were but matters for under-sheriffs and 

 catch-polls ; though many times those under-sheriffries do more good 

 than their high speculations. St. Paul, when he boasts of himself, he 

 doth oft interlace, &quot; I speak like a fool ; &quot; but speaking of his calling, 

 he saith, &quot; magnificabo apostolatum meum.&quot; 



LIV. OF VAIN-GLORY. 



It was prettily devised of /Esop : The fly sat upon the axle-tree of 

 the chariot-wheel, and said, What a dust do I raise ! So are there 

 some vain persons, that whatsoever goeth alone, or moveth upon 

 greater means, if they have never so little hand in it, they think it is 

 they that carry it. They that are glorious must needs be factious ; for 

 all bravery stands upon comparisons. They must needs be violent to 

 make good their own vaunts : neither can they be secret, and there 

 fore not effectual ; but according to the French proverb, &quot; Beaucoup de 

 bruit, pen de fruit:&quot; Much bruit, little fruit. Yet certainly there is 

 use of this quality in civil affairs : where there is an opinion, and fame 

 to be created, cither of virtue or greatness, these men are good 

 trumpeters. Again, as Titus Livius noteth, in the case of Antiochus 

 and the ^Etolians, there are sometimes great effects of cross lies ; as 

 if a man that negotiates between two princes, to draw them to join in 



