upon Number: They trufted likewife, to the Courage and Bravery of the Soldiers: They often appointed Days for pitched Fields, and so try'd it out upon an even Match; finally, they were more ignorant in Ranging and Arraying their Battles. Afterwards, They were for Number, Competent rather than Vaft; they laid out for Advantages of Place, cunning Diverfions, and the like: Laftly, they grew to be more skilful in the Ordering of their Battles.

IN the Youth of a State Arms flourish; in its Middle Age, Learning; and then both of them together for a Time: In its Declining Age, Mechanical Arts and Merchandize. Learning hath its Infancy, when it is Light and Childish: Then its Youth, when it is Luxuriant and Juvenile; Next, its Strength of Years, when it is Solid and Exact: Lastly, its Old Age, when it is dry and exhausted; but yet full of Talk. But it is not good to look too long upon these turning Wheels of VICISSITUDE, left we become Giddy. As for Philo

logy, which generally comes in upon this Argument, it is but a Heap of Tales and idle Stories, and therefore not fit for this Writing.

LIX. A FRAGMENT of an ESSAY of FAME.

HE Poets make FAME a Mon

TH

fter. They describe Her in part finely and elegantly; and in part gravely and sententiously. They say: Behold as many Feathers as the hath, so many Eyes alfo hath fhe underneath; fo many Tongues, so many Ears pricks she

up.

THIS is a Flourish. There follow excellent Parables; as that She gathers Strength in going; That She goes upon the Ground, and yet hides her Head in the Clouds; That in the Day-time She keeps Watch, and flies moftly by Night; That She fings Things done,

and

and Things not done; That she is a Terror to great Cities: But, what excels all the rest, They tell, that the Earth, Mother of the Giants that made War upon Jupiter, but were destroy'd by him, afterwards in Anger brought forth FAME. For certain it is, that Rebels, which are reprefented by the Giants, and Seditious FAMES and Libels, are but Brothers and Sifters, Mafculine and Feminine. But now if a Man could tame this Monster, and bring Her to feed at Hand, and govern Her, and with Her fly other ravening Fowl, and kill them, it wou'd be fomewhat worth. But we are infected with the Stile of the Poets. To fpeak now in a fober and ferious manner; There is not in all Politicks a Subject lefs handled, and yet more worthy to be handled, than This of FAME. We will therefore speak to these Points: What is false, and what true FAME, and how they may be difcerned: How Rumours may be fown and raised; How they may be spread and multiplied; Laftly,

How

How they may be choaked and killed: And other Things concerning the Nature of FA MB.

FAME is of that Force; that there is fcarce any Action wherein it hath not a Part, especially in War! Mucianus undid Vitellius by a FAME that he had fpread; That Vitellius purpofed to remove the Legions of Syria into Germany; and the Legions of Germany into Syria: Whereupon the Legions of Syria were infinitely inflamed: Julius Cafar took Pompey unprovided, and laid asleep his Industry and Preparations, by a FAME that he cunningly gave out; How that Cafar's own Soldiers loved him not; and being wearied with the Wars, and laden with the Spoils of Gaul, would forfake him as foon as he came into Italy. Livia fettled all things for the Succeffion of her Son Tiberius, by continually giving out, that her Hufband Auguftus was upon Recovery and Amendment. And it is an ufual Thing with Bashaws, to conceal the Death of the Great Turk from the Janizaries,

and

and Men of War, to fave the Sacking of Conftantinople, and other Towns, as their Manner is. Themistocles made Xerxes King of Perfia poft out of Greece, by giving out that the Grecians had a Design to break his Bridge of Ships which he had made cross the Hellefpont. There are a thousand fuch like Examples; and the more they are, the less they need to be repeated; because a Man meeteth with them every where. Therefore let all wife Governors have as great a Watch and Care over RuMOURS and FAME, as they have of the Actions and Defigns themselves.