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Of Honor And Reputation
THE winning of honor, is but the revealing of a man's virtue and worth, without disadvantage. For...
Of Vain-glory
IT WAS prettily devised of AEsop, The fly sat upon the axle-tree of the chariot wheel, and said, ...
Of Praise
PRAISE is the reflection of virtue; but it is as the glass or body, which giveth the reflection. ...
Of Ceremonies, And Respects
HE THAT is only real, had need have exceeding great parts of virtue; as the stone had need to be ...
Of Faction
MANY have an opinion not wise, that for a prince to govern his estate, or for a great person to g...
Of Studies
STUDIES serve for delight, for ornament, and for ability. Their chief use for delight, is in priv...
Of Suitors
MANY ill matters and projects are undertaken; and private suits do putrefy the public good. Many ...
Of Followers And Friends
COSTLY followers are not to be liked; lest while a man maketh his train longer, he make his wings...
Of Negotiating
IT IS generally better to deal by speech than by letter; and by the mediation of a third than by ...
Of Gardens
GOD Almighty first planted a garden. And indeed it is the purest of human pleasures. It is the gr...
Of Building
HOUSES are built to live in, and not to look on; therefore let use be preferred before uniformity...
Of Deformity
DEFORMED persons are commonly even with nature; for as nature hath done ill by them, so do they b...
Of Beauty
VIRTUE is like a rich stone, best plain set; and surely virtue is best, in a body that is comely,...
Of Youth And Age
A MAN that is young in years, may be old in hours, if he have lost no time. But that happeneth ra...
Of Usury
MANY have made witty invectives against usury. They say that it is a pity, the devil should have ...
Of Fortune
IT CANNOT be denied, but outward accidents conduce much to fortune; favor, opportunity, death of ...
Of Custom And Education
MEN'S thoughts, are much according to their inclination; their discourse and speeches, according ...
Of Nature In Men
NATURE is often hidden; sometimes overcome; seldom extinguished. Force, maketh nature more violen...
Of Masques And Triumphs
THESE things are but toys, to come amongst such serious observations. But yet, since princes will...
Of Ambition
AMBITION is like choler; which is an humor that maketh men active, earnest, full of alacrity, and...