reputation: for actions of great felicity may draw wonder, but praiseless; as Cicero said to Caesar, Que miremur, habemus; quae laudemus, expectamus: [Here is enough to admire, but what is there to praise ?]

Fourthly, because the purchases of our own industry are joined commonly with labour and strife, which gives an edge and appetite, and makes the fruition of our desire more pleasant. Suavis cibus a venatu: [Meat taken in hunting is sweet.]

On the other side, there be four counter colours to this colour, rather than reprehensions, because they be as large as the colour itself. First, because felicity seemeth to be a character of the favour and love of the divine powers, and accordingly worketh both confidence in ourselves, and respect and authority from others. And this felicity extendeth to many casual things, whereunto the care or virtue of man cannot extend, and therefore seemeth to be a larger good; as when Casar said to the sailor, Cæsarem portas et fortu num ejus, [You carry Caesar and his fortune:] if he had said it virtutem ejus [and his virtue.] it had been small comfort against a tempest, otherwise than if it might seem upon merit to induce fortune.

Next, whatsoever is done by virtue and industry, seems to be lone by a kind of habit and art, and there Se open to

ted and followed: whereas felicity we generally see that things of excellent than things of art, be ble: for quod imitabile est potentia [That which can be imitated is

very correctly printed, has misaoie. 'n he tata dict, being aubiguous, mille nay Dosely

Thirdly, felicity commendeth those things which cometh without our own labour; for they seem gifts, and the other seems pennyworths: whereupon Plutarch saith elegantly of the acts of Timoleon, who was so fortunate, compared with the acts of Agesilaus and Epaminondas, that they were like Homer's verses, they ran so easily and so well; and therefore it is the word we give unto poesy, terming it a happy vein, because facility seemeth ever to come from happiness.

Fourthly, this same præter spem, vel præter expectatum, doth increase the price and pleasure of many things; and this cannot be incident to those things that proceed from our own care and compass.

X.

Gradus privationis major videtur quam gradus diminutionis; et rursus gradus inceptionis major videtur quam gradus incrementi. [From having something to having nothing is a greater step than from having more to having less and again from having nothing to having something is a greater step than from having less to having more.]

It is a position in the mathematics, that there is no proportion between somewhat and nothing, thereforethe degree of nullity and quiddity or act, seemeth larger than the degrees of increase and decrease; as to a monoculos it is more to lose one eye, than to a man that hath two eyes. So if one have lost divers children, it is more grief to him to lose the last than all

rest; because he is spes gregis. And therefore

la, when she brought her three books, and had d two, did double the whole price of both the

other, because the burning of that had been rudus privationis, and not diminutionis.

This colour is reprehended first in those things, the use and service whereof resteth in sufficiency, competenev, or determinate quantity: as if a man be to pay one hundred pounds upon a penalty, it is more to him to want twelve pence, than after that twelve pence supposed to be wanting, to want ten shillings more; so the decay of a man's estate seems to be most touched in the degree when he first grows behind, more than afterwards when he proves nothing worth. And hereof the common forms are, Sera in fundo varsimonia, [Sparing comes too late when ul is gone. ind. ts puni never a chit, is merr the latter, &c. It is reprehenied also in respect of that notion, Corruptio inius, jeneratio útorus: [The corruption of one thing is the genera ion of mother:] so that rus privations is many times less matter, because it gives the cause ni motre to some new course. As when Demosthenes reprehended the neopie for hearkening to the conditions offered by King Philip, being not honourabie nor equal, he saith they were but uiments of their sota And Acakness, which if they were taken awar, Tess sity would teach them stronger resolutions. So Doctor He for was wont to say to the dames of London, win tpex cour, a td they were they could not "ul how, but plure to take any mediene, de

far way was orly to be sirs, or then

degree of privation; for in the mind of man gradus diminutionis may work a wavering between hope and fear, and so keep the mind in suspense from settling and accommodating in patience and resolution. Hereof the common forms are, better eye out than always ache; make or mar, &c.

For the second branch of this colour, it depends upon the same general reason: hence grew the common place of extolling the beginning of everything: dimidium qui bene cœpit habet: [Well begun is half done.] This made the astrologers so idle as to judge of a man's nature and destiny by the constellation of the moment of his nativity or conception. This colour is reprehended, because many inceptions are but, as Epicurus termeth them, tentamenta, that is, imperfect offers and essays, which vanish and come to no substance without an iteration; so as in such cases the second degree seems the worthiest, as the body-horse in the cart, that draweth more than the fore-horse. Hereof the common forms are, The second blow makes the fray, The second word makes the bargain: Alter principium dedit, alter modum abstulit,1 [the one made a beginning of the mischief, the other made no end] &c. Another reprehension of this colour is in respect of defatigation, which makes perseverance of greater dignity than inception : for chance or instinct of nature may cause inception: 2 but settled affection or judgment maketh the continu

ance.

Thirdly, this colour is reprehended in such things, which have a natural course and inclination contrary ception. So that the inception is continually

Satulit, in the original.

he original, this whole clause (for . . . inception) is omitted.

evacuated and gets no start, but there behoveth perpetua inceptio; as in the common form, Non progredi est regredi; Qui non proficit deficit: [Not to go forward is to go back: he that does not get on, falls off:] running against the hill, rowing against the stream, &c. For if it be with the stream or with the hill, then the degree of inception is more than all the rest.

Fourthly, this colour is to be understood of gradus inceptionis a potentia ad actum, comparatus cum gradu ab actu ad incrementum: [the step from power to act compared with the step from act to increase.] For otherwise major videtur gradus ab impotentia ad potentiam, quam a potentia ad actum: [from impotence to power appears to be a greater step than from power to act.]