ESSA YS CIVIL AND MORAL, 85 



fuller. A man is an ill husband of his honour that cntcrcth into any 

 action, the failing wherein may disgrace him mure than the carrying 

 of it through can honour him. Honour that is gained and broker 

 upon another, hath the quickest reflexion, like diamonds cut with 

 fascets. And therefore let a man contend to excel any competitors of 

 his in honour, in out-shooting them, if he can, in their own bow. Dis 

 creet followers and servants help much to reputation: &quot;omnis fama a 

 domestiris cmanat.&quot; Envy, which is the canker of honour, is best 

 extinguished by declaring a man s self in his ends, rather to seek merit 

 than fame ; and by attributing a man s successes rather to divine pro 

 vidence and felicity, than to his own virtue or policy. The true 

 marshalling of the degrees of sovereign honour, are these. In the first 

 place arc Conditorcs Imperiorum; founders of states and common 

 wealths: such as were Romulus, Cyrus, Qusar, Ottoman, Ismacl. In 

 the second place are Lcgislatores, lawgivers, which are also called 

 recond founders, or Pcrpctui Principcs, because they govern by their 

 ordinances, after they are gone : such were Lycurgus, Solon, Justinian, 

 Edgar, Alphonsus of Castile the wise, that made the Siete partidas. 

 In the third place arc Liberatores, or Salvatorcs ; such as compound 

 the long miseries of civil wars, or deliver their countries from servitude 

 of strangers or tyrants : as Augustus Ca-sar, Vespasianus, Aurclianus, 

 Thcodoricus, King Henry the Seventh of England. King Henry the 

 Fourth of France. In the fourth place are Propagatores, or Pro- 

 pugnatorcs Impcrii, such as in honourable wars enlarge their 

 territories, or make noble defence against invaders. And in the last 

 place arc Pat res Patrue, v/hich reign justly, and make the times good 

 wherein they live. Both which last kinds need no examples, they are 

 in such number. Degrees of honour in subjects are : first, Participes 

 Curarum, those upon whom princes do discharge the greatest weight 

 of their affairs ; their right hands, as we call them. The next are 

 Duccs Belli, great leaders; such as arc prince s lieutenants, and do 

 them notable services in the wars. The third arc Gratiosi, favourites; 

 such as exceed not this scantling, to be solace to the sovereign, and 

 harmless to the people : and the fourth, Negotiis Pares ; such as have 

 great places under princes, and execute their places with sufficiency. 

 There is an honour likewise, which may be ranked amongst the 

 greatest, which happcncth rarely : that is, of such as sacrifice them 

 selves to death or danger for the good of their country ; as was 

 M. Rcgulus and the two Decii. 



LVI. OF JUDICATURE. 



Judges ought to remember, that their office is///.r dicfre^ and not 

 fin t/tirgj- to interpret law, and not to make law, or give law. Else 

 will it be like the authority claimed by the church of Rome ; which, 

 under pretext of exposition of scripture, doth not stick to add and 

 niter ; and to pronounce that which they do not find ; and by show of 

 antiquity to introduce novelty. Judges ought to be more learned than 

 witty ; more reverend than plausible ; and more advised than confi- 



