concerned　how　to　expose　and　set　out　our　own　commodities；　than　how　to
  increase　our　stock　by　acquiring　new。　　Silence；　therefore；　and　modesty　are
  very　advantageous　qualities　in　conversation。　　One　should；　therefore；
  train　up　this　boy　to　be　sparing　and　an　husband　of　his　knowledge　when　he
  has　acquired　it；　and　to　forbear　taking　exceptions　at　or　reproving　every
  idle　saying　or　ridiculous　story　that　is　said　or　told　in　his　presence；　for
  it　is　a　very　unbecoming　rudeness　to　carp　at　everything　that　is　not
  agreeable　to　our　own　palate。　　Let　him　be　satisfied　with　correcting
  himself；　and　not　seem　to　condemn　everything　in　another　he　would　not　do
  himself；　nor　dispute　it　as　against　common　customs。
  〃Licet　sapere　sine　pompa；　sine　invidia。〃
  ＇〃Let　us　be　wise　without　ostentation；　without　envy。〃
  Seneca；　Ep。；　103。
  Let　him　avoid　these　vain　and　uncivil　images　of　authority；　this　childish
  ambition　of　coveting　to　appear　better　bred　and　more　accomplished；　than　he
  really　will；　by　such　carriage；　discover　himself　to　be。　　And；　as　if
  opportunities　of　interrupting　and　reprehending　were　not　to　be　omitted；　to
  desire　thence　to　derive　the　reputation　of　something　more　than　ordinary。
  For　as　it　becomes　none　but　great　poets　to　make　use　of　the　poetical
  licence；　so　it　is　intolerable　for　any　but　men　of　great　and　illustrious
  souls　to　assume　privilege　above　the　authority　of　custom：
  〃Si　quid　Socrates　ant　Aristippus　contra　morem　et　consuetudinem
  fecerunt；　idem　sibi　ne　arbitretur　licere：　magnis　enim　illi　et
  divinis　bonis　hanc　licentiam　assequebantur。〃
  ＇〃If　Socrates　and　Aristippus　have　committed　any　act　against　manners
  and　custom；　let　him　not　think　that　he　is　allowed　to　do　the　same；　for
  it　was　by　great　and　divine　benefits　that　they　obtained　this
  privilege。〃Cicero；　De　0ffic。；　i。　41。＇
  Let　him　be　instructed　not　to　engage　in　discourse　or　dispute　but　with　a
  champion　worthy　of　him；　and；　even　there；　not　to　make　use　of　all　the
  little　subtleties　that　may　seem　pat　for　his　purpose；　but　only　such
  arguments　as　may　best　serve　him。　　Let　him　be　taught　to　be　curious　in　the
  election　and　choice　of　his　reasons；　to　abominate　impertinence；　and
  consequently；　to　affect　brevity；　but；　above　all；　let　him　be　lessoned　to
  acquiesce　and　submit　to　truth　so　soon　as　ever　he　shall　discover　it；
  whether　in　his　opponent's　argument；　or　upon　better　consideration　of　his
  own；　for　he　shall　never　be　preferred　to　the　chair　for　a　mere　clatter　of
  words　and　syllogisms；　and　is　no　further　engaged　to　any　argument　whatever；
  than　as　he　shall　in　his　own　judgment　approve　it：　nor　yet　is　arguing　a
  trade；　where　the　liberty　of　recantation　and　getting　off　upon　better
  thoughts；　are　to　be　sold　for　ready　money：
  〃Neque；　ut　omnia；　qux　praescripta　et　imperata　sint；
  defendat；　necessitate　ulla　cogitur。〃
  ＇〃Neither　is　their　any　necessity　upon　him；　that　he　should　defend
  all　things　that　are　prescribed　and　enjoined　him。〃
  Cicero；　Acad。；　ii。　3。＇
  If　his　governor　be　of　my　humour；　he　will　form　his　will　to　be　a　very　good
  and　loyal　subject　to　his　prince；　very　affectionate　to　his　person；　and
  very　stout　in　his　quarrel；　but　withal　he　will　cool　in　him　the　desire　of
  having　any　other　tie　to　his　service　than　public　duty。　　Besides　several
  other　inconveniences　that　are　inconsistent　with　the　liberty　every　honest
  man　ought　to　have；　a　man's　judgment；　being　bribed　and　prepossessed　by
  these　particular　obligations；　is　either　blinded　and　less　free　to　exercise
  its　function；　or　is　blemished　with　ingratitude　and　indiscretion。　　A　man
  that　is　purely　a　courtier；　can　neither　have　power　nor　will　to　speak　or
  think　otherwise　than　favourably　and　well　of　a　master；　who；　amongst　so
  many　millions　of　other　subjects；　has　picked　out　him　with　his　own　hand　to
  nourish　and　advance；　this　favour；　and　the　profit　flowing　from　it；　must
  needs；　and　not　without　some　show　of　reason；　corrupt　his　freedom　and
  dazzle　him；　and　we　commonly　see　these　people　speak　in　another　kind　of
  phrase　than　is　ordinarily　spoken　by　others　of　the　same　nation；　though
  what　they　say　in　that　courtly　language　is　not　much　to　be　believed。
  Let　his　conscience　and　virtue　be　eminently　manifest　in　his　speaking；　and
  have　only　reason　for　their　guide。　　Make　him　understand；　that　to
  acknowledge　the　error　he　shall　discover　in　his　own　argument；　though　only
  found　out　by　himself；　is　an　effect　of　judgment　and　sincerity；　which　are
  the　principal　things　he　is　to　seek　after；　that　obstinacy　and　contention
  are　common　qualities；　most　appearing　in　mean　souls；　that　to　revise　and
  correct　himself；　to　forsake　an　unjust　argument　in　the　height　and　heat　of
  dispute；　are　rare；　great；　and　philosophical　qualities。
  Let　him　be　advised；　being　in　company；　to　have　his　eye　and　ear　in　every
  corner；　for　I　find　that　the　places　of　greatest　honour　are　commonly　seized
  upon　by　men　that　have　least　in　them；　and　that　the　greatest　fortunes　are
  seldom　accompanied　with　the　ablest　parts。　　I　have　been　present　when；
  whilst　they　at　the　upper　end　of　the　chamber　have　been　only　commenting　the
  beauty　of　the　arras；　or　the　flavour　of　the　wine；　many　things　that　have
  been　very　finely　said　at　the　lower　end　of　the　table　have　been　lost　and
  thrown　away。　　Let　him　examine　every　man's　talent；　a　peasant；　a
  bricklayer；　a　passenger：　one　may　learn　something　from　every　one　of　these
  in　their　several　capacities；　and　something　will　be　picked　out　of　their
  discourse　whereof　some　use　may　be　made　at　one　time　or　another；　nay；　even
  the　folly　and　impertinence　of　others　will　contribute　to　his　instruction。
  By　observing　the　graces　and　manners　of　all　he　sees；　he　will　create　to
  himself　an　emulation　of　the　good；　and　a　contempt　of　the　bad。
  Let　an　honest　curiosity　be　suggested　to　his　fancy　of　being　inquisitive
  after　everything；　whatever　there　is　singular　and　rare　near　the　place
  where　he　is；　let　him　go　and　see　it；　a　fine　house；　a　noble　fountain；　an
  eminent　man；　the　place　where　a　battle　has　been　anciently　fought；　the
  passages　of　Caesar　and　Charlemagne：
  〃Qux　tellus　sit　lenta　gelu；　quae　putris　ab　aestu；
  Ventus　in　Italiam　quis　bene　vela　ferat。〃
  ＇〃What　country　is　bound　in　frost；　what　land　is　friable　with　heat；
  what　wind　serves　fairest　for　Italy。〃Propertius；　iv。　3；　39。＇
  Let　him　inquire　into　the　manners；　revenues；　and　alliances　of　princes；
  things　in　themselves　very　pleasant　to　learn；　and　very　useful　to　know。
  In　this　conversing　with　men；　I　mean　also；　and　principally；　those　who　only
  live　in　the　records　of　history；　he　shall；　by　reading　those　books；
  converse　with　the　great　and　heroic　souls　of　the　best　ages。　　'Tis　an　idle
  and　vain　study　to　those　who　make　it　so　by　doing　it　after　a　negligent
  manner；　but　to　those　who　do　it　with　care　and　observation；　'tis　a　study　of
  inestimable　fruit　and　value；　and　the　only　study；　as　Plato　reports；　that
  the　Lacedaemonians　reserved　to　themselves。　　What　profit　shall　he　not　reap
  as　to　the　business　of　men；　by　reading　the　Lives　of　Plutarch？　　But；
  withal；　let　my　governor　remember　to　what　end　his　instructions　are
  principally　directed；　and　that　he　do　not　so　much　imprint　in　his　pupil's
  memory　the　date　of　the　ruin　of　Carthage；　as　the　manners　of　Hannibal　and
  Scipio；　nor　so　much　where　Marcellus　died；　as　why　it　was　unworthy　of　his
  duty　that　he　died　there。　　Let　him　not　teach　him　so　much　the　narrative
  parts　of　history　as　to　judge　them；　the　reading　of　them；　in　my　opinion；
  is　a　thing　that　of　all　others　we　apply　ourselves　unto　with　the　most
  differing　measure。　　I　have　read　a　hundred　things　in　Livy　that　another　has
  not；　or　not　taken　notice　of　at　least；　and　Plutarch　has　read　a　hundred
  more　there　than　ever　I　could　find；　or　than；　peradventure；　that　author
  ever　wrote；　to　some　it　is　merely　a　grammar　study；　to　others　the　very
  anatomy　of　philosophy；　by　which　the　most　abstruse　parts　of　our　human
  nature　penetrate。　　There　are　in　Plutarch　many　long　discourses　very　worthy
  to　be　carefully　read　and　observed；　for　he　is；　in　my　opinion；　of　all
  others　the　greatest　master　in　that　kind　of　writing；　but　there　are　a
  thousand　others　which　he　has　only　touched　and　glanced　upon；　where　he　only
  points　with　his　finger　to　direct　us　which　way　we　may　go　if　we　will；　and
  contents　himself　sometimes　with　giving　only　one　brisk　hit　in　the　nicest
  article　of　the　question；　whence　we　are　to　grope　out　the　rest。　　As；　for
  example；　where　he　says'＇In　the　Essay　on　False　Shame。＇　that　the
  inhabitants　of　Asia　came　to　be　vassals　to　one　only；　for　not　having　been
  able　to　pronounce　one　syllable；　which　is　No。　　Which　saying　of　his　gave
  perhaps　matter　and　occasion　to　La　Boetie　to　write　his　〃Voluntary
  Servitude。〃　　Only　to　see　him　pick　out　a　light　action　in　a　man's　life；　or
  a　mere　word　that　does　not　seem　to　amount　even　to　that；　is　itself　a　whole
  discourse。　　'Tis　to　our　prejudice　that　men　of　understanding　should　so
  immoderately　affect　brevity；　no　doubt　their　reputation　is　the　better　by
  it；　but　in　the　meantime　we　are　the　worse。　　Plutarch　had　rather　we　should
  applaud　his　judgment　than　commend　his　knowledge；　and　had　rather　leave　us
  with　an　appetite　to　read　more；　than　glutted　with　that　we　have　already
  read。　　He　knew　very　well；　that　a　man　may　say　too　much　even　upon　the　best
  subjects；　and　that　Alexandridas