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 commendation to others, in that wherein a man's self hath any perfection. For saith Pliny very wittily: 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. Glorious men are the scorn of wise men; the admiration of fools; the idols of parasites; and the slaves of their own vaunts.

Essay LV. Of Honour and Reputation

HE 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 are commonly much talked of, but inwardly little admired.) And some, contrariwise, darken their virtue in the shew 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 content every faction or combination of people, the music will be the fuller. A man is an ill husband of his honour, that entreth into any action, the failing wherein may disgrace him more than the carrying of it through can honour him. Honour that is gained and broken upon another hath the quickest reflection; like diamonds cut with facets. And therefore let a

man contend to excel any competitors of his in honour, in outshooting them, if he can, in their own bow. Discreet followers and servants help much to reputation: Omnis fama a domesticis emanat. 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 Providence and felicity, than to his own virtue or policy.) The true marshalling of the degrees of sovereign honour are these. In the first place are conditores imperiorum, founders of states and commonwealths; such as were Romulus, Cyrus, Cæsar, Ottoman, Ismael. In the second place are legis-latores, lawgivers; which are also called second founders, or perpetui principes, because they govern by their ordinances after they are gone such were Lycurgus, Solon, Justinian, Eadgar, Alphonsus of Castile the Wise, that made the Siete Partidas. In the third place are liberatores, or salvatores; such as compound the long miseries of civil wars, or deliver their countries from servitude of strangers or tyrants; as Augustus Cæsar, Vespasianus, Aurelianus, Theodoricus, K. Henry the VII. of England, K. Henry the IV. of France. In the fourth place are propagatores or propugnatores imperii; such as in honourable wars enlarge their territories, or make noble defence against invaders. And in the last place are patres patria, which 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
duces belli, great leaders; such as are princes' lieu-
tenants and do them notable services in the wars.
The third are 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
happeneth rarely; that is, of such

as sacrifice themselves to death or
danger for the good of their
country; as was M. Regu-
lus, and the two Decii.

Essay LVI. Of Judicature

UDGES ought to remember that their office is jus dicere, and not jus dare; 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 alter, and to pronounce that which they do not find, and by shew of antiquity to introduce novelty. (Judges ought to be more learned than witty, more reverend than plausible, and more advised than confident. Above all things, integrity is their portion and proper virtue. Cursed (saith the law) is he that removeth the land-mark. The mislayer of a meere stone is to blame. But it is the unjust judge that is the capital remover of land-marks, when he defineth amiss of lands and property. One foul sentence doth more hurt than many foul examples. For these do but corrupt the stream; the other corrupteth the fountain. So saith Salomon: Fons turbatus, et vena corrupta, est justus cadens in causâ sua coram adversario. The office of judges may