8 4 ESSAYS CIVIL AND MORAL. 



a war against the third, doth extol the forces of either of them above 

 measure, the one to the other : and sometimes he that deals between 

 man and man, raiseth his own credit with both, by pretending greater 

 interest than he hath in either. And in these and the like kinds, it 

 often falls out, that somewhat is produced of nothing; for lies are sum- 

 cient to breed opinion, and opinion brings on substance. In military 

 commanders and soldiers, vain-glory is an essential point; for as iron 

 sharpens iron, so by glory one courage sharpeneth another : in cases 

 of great enterprise, upon charge and adventure, a composition of 

 glorious natures doth put life into business ; and those that are of solid 

 and sober natures, have more of the ballast than of the sail. In fame 

 of learning, the flight will be slow, without some feathers of ostenta 

 tion : &quot; Qui de contemnenda gloria libros scribunt, nomen suum 

 inscribunt.&quot; Socrates, Aristotle, Galen, were men full of ostentation. 

 Certainly vain-glory helpcth to perpetuate a man s memory; and 

 virtue was never so beholden to human nature, as it received its due 

 at the second-hand. Neither had the fame of Cicero, Seneca, Plinius 

 Sccundus. born her age so well, if it had not been joined with some 

 vanity in themselves : like unto varnish, that makes ceilings not only 

 shine but last. But all this while, when 1 speak of vain-glory, I mean 

 not of that property that Tacitus doth attribute to Mucianus,&quot; omnium, 

 qua: dixerat, feccratque, arte quadam ostentator : &quot; for that proceeds 

 not of vanity, but of natural magnanimity and discretion : and in some 

 persons, is not only comely but gracious. For excusations, cessions, 

 modesty itself well governed, are but arts of ostentation. And 

 amongst those arts, there is none better than that which Plinius 

 Secundus speaketh of ; which is to be liberal of praise and commenda 

 tion to others, in that wherein a man s self hath any perfection. For, 

 saith Pliny, very wittily, &quot; in commending another you do yourself 

 right ; for he that you commend is either superior to you in that you 

 commend, or inferior. If he be inferior, if he be to be commended, 

 you much more. If he be superior, if he be not to be commended, 

 you much less.&quot; Glorious men are the scorn of wise men ; the 

 admiration of fools ; the idols of parasites ; and slaves of their own 

 vaunts, 



LV. OF HONOUR AND REPUTATION. 



The winning of honour is but the revealing of a man s virtue and 

 worth without disadvantage. For some in their actions do woo and 

 affect honour and reputation ; which sort of men arc commonly much 

 talked of, but inwardly little admired. And some, contrariwise, darken 

 their virtue in the show of it : so as they be undervalued in opinion. 

 If a man perform that which hath not been attempted before, or 

 attempted and given over ; or hath been achieved, but not with so 

 good circumstance : he shall purchase more honour than by effecting 

 a matter of greater difficulty or virtue, wherein he is but a follower. 

 If a man so temper his actions, as in some one of them he doth con 

 tent every faction or combination of people, the music will be the 



