What Braggadocians are they and we then? quam brevis hic de nobis sermo, as he said, pudebit aucti nominis, how short a time; how little a while doth this fame of ours continue? Every private Province, every small territory and City, when we have all done, will yeeld as generous spirits, as brave examples in all respects, as famous as our selves, Cadwallader in Wales, Rollo in Normandy, Robbin-hood and Little Iohn, are as much renown’d in Sherwood, as Cæsar in Rome, Alexander in Greece, or his Hephæstion, Omnis ætas omnisque populus in exemplum & admirationem veniet,

Every town, city, book, is full of brave Souldiers, Senators, Scholars, and though Bracydas was a worthy Captain, a good man, and as they thought, not to be matched in Lacedæmon, yet as his mother truly said, plures habet Sparta Bracyda meliores, Sparta had many better men than ever he was; and howsoever thou admirest thy self, thy friend, many an obscure fellow the world never took notice of, had he been in place or action, would have done much better than he or he, or thou thy self.

Another kinde of mad men there is opposite to these, that are insensibly mad, and know not of it, such as contemn all praise and glory, think themselves most free, when as indeed they are most mad: calcant sed alio fastu: a company of Cynicks, such as are Monkes, Hermites, Anachorites, that contemn the world, contemn themselves, contemn all titles, honors, offices: and yet in that contempt, are more proud than any man living whatsoever.

They are proud in humility; proud in that they are not proud, sæpe homo de vanæ gloriæ contemptu, vanius gloriatur, as Austin hath it, confess. lib.10. cap.38. like Diogenes, intus gloriantur, they brag inwardly, and feed themselves fat with a self-conceit of sanctity, which is no better than hypocrisie.

They go in sheeps russet, many great men that might maintaine themselves in cloth of gold, and seem to be dejected, humble by their outward carriage, when as inwardly they are swoln full of pride, arrogancy, and self-conceit. And therefore Seneca adviseth his friend Lucilius, in his attire and gesture, outward actions, especially to avoid all such things as are more notable in themselves: as a rugged attire, hirsute head, horrid beard, contempt of money, course lodging, and whatsoever leads to fame that opposite way.

All this madness yet proceeds from our selves, the main engin which batters us, is from others, we are meerly passive in this business: from a company of Parasites and flatterers, that with immoderate praise, & bumbast Epithetes, glosing titles, false elogiums, so bedawbe & applaud, guild over many a silly and undeserving man, that they clap him quite out of his wits. Res imprimis violenta est, as Hierom notes, this common applause is a most violent thing, laudum placenta, a drum, fife, and trumpet cannot so animate; that fattens men, erects and dejects them in an instant.

Palma negata macrum, donata reducit opimum.

It makes them fat and lean, as frost doth Conies.

And who is that mortal man that can so containe himself, that if he be immoderately commended, and applauded, will not be moved? Let him be what he will, those Parasites will overturne him: if he be a King, he is one of the nine Worthies, more than a man, a God forthwith, — edictum Domini Deique nostri: and they will sacrifice unto him, —

divinos si tu patiaris honores, Ultrò ipsi dabimus meritasque sacrabimus aras.

If he be a souldier, then Themistocles, Epaminondas, Hector, Achilles, duo fulmina belli, triumviri terrarum, &c, and the valour of both Scipio’s is too little for him, he is invictissimus, serenissimus, multis trophæis ornatissimus, naturæ dominus, although he be lepus galeatus, indeed a very coward, a milksop, and as he said of Xerxes, postremus in pugnâ, primus in fugâ, and such a one as never durst look his enemy in the face.

If he be a big man, then is he a Sampson, another Hercules: if he pronounce a speech, another Tully or Demosthenes: as of Herod in the Acts, the voice of God and not of man: If he can make a verse, Homer, Virgil, &c. And then my silly weak Patient, takes all these elogiums to himself; if he be a Scholar so commended for his much reading, excellent style, method, &c. he will eviscerate himself like a spider, study to death. Laudatas ostendit avis Iunonia pennas, Peacock-like he will display all his feathers.

If he be a souldier, and so applauded, his valour extoll’d, though it be impar congressus, as that of Troilus, and Achilles, Infelix puer, he will combat with a Giant, run first upon a breach. As another Philippus, he will ride into the thickest of his enemies. Commend his house keeping, and he will beggar himself: commend his temperance, he will starve himself.

——laudataque virtus Crescit, & immensum gloria calcar habet.

he is mad, mad, mad, no whoe with him; ——impatiens consortis erit, he will over the Alpes to be talked of, or to maintain his credit. Commend an ambitious man, some proud Prince or Potentate, Si plus æquo laudetur (saith Erasmus) cristas erigit, exuit hominem, Deum se putat, he sets up his crest, and will be no longer a man but a God.

——nihil est quod credere de se Non audet quum laudatur diis æqua potestas.