Essaies: Religious Meditations. Places of Perswasion and Disswasion

...has not been attempted before, or was attempted and given up, or has been achieved but not under such favorable conditions, he shall acquire original: "purchase" more honor than by accomplishing a matter of greater difficulty or excellence original: "vertue" in which he is merely a follower.

If a man balances original: "temper" his actions so that in any one of them he satisfies every faction or group of people, the music An analogy for the harmony of public praise. will be all the fuller. A man is a poor manager original: "ill husband" of his honor if he enters into any action where failing might disgrace him more than succeeding could honor him.

Discreet followers contribute much to one's reputation. Envy, which is the decay original: "canker" of honor, is best extinguished by a man declaring that his goals original: "ends" are to seek merit rather than fame, and by attributing his successes to divine providence and good fortune original: "felicitie" rather than to his own skill original: "vertue" or shrewdness original: "policie".

The true ranking original: "Marshalling" of the degrees of sovereign honor are: