Praiseisthereflectionofvirtue.Butitisastheglassorbody,whichgiveththereflection.Ifitbefromthecommonpeople,itiscommonlyfalseandnaught:andratherfollowethvainpersons,thanvirtuous:forthecommonpeopleunderstandnotmanyexcellentvirtues:thelowestvirtuesdrawpraisefromthem;themiddlevirtuesworkinthemastonishment,oradmiration;butofthehighestvirtues,theyhavenosenseofperceivingatall.Butshows,andspeciesvirtutibusdsimites,servebestwiththem.Certinly,fameislikeariver,thatbearethupthingslightandswollen,anddrownsthingsweightyandsolid:butifpersonsofqualityandjudgementconcur,thenitis,(asthescripturesaith)nomenbonum,instarunguentifragrantis.Itfillethallroundabout,andwillnoteasilyawayTravelenquiry.Fortheodoursofointmentsaremoredurable,thanthoseofflowers.Therebesomanyfalsepointsofpraise,thatamanmayjustlyholditasuspect.Somepraisesproceedmerelyofflattery;andifhebeanordinaryflatterer,hewillhavecertaincommonattributes,whichmayserveeveryman;ifhebeacunningflatterer,hewillfollowthearh-flatterer,whichisaman’sself;andwhereinamanthinkeththatofhimself,thereintheflattererwillupholdhimmost;butifhebeaimpudentflatterer,lookwhereinamanisconscioustohimselfthatheismostdefective,andismostoutofcountenanceinhimself,thatwilltheflattererentitlehimto,perforce,spretaconscietia.Somepraisescomeofgoodwishes,andrespects,whichisaformdueincivilitytokings,andgreatpersons,laudandopraecipere;whenbytellingmenwhattheyare,theyrepresenttothemwhattheyshouldbe.Somemenarepraisedmaliciouslytotheirhurt,therebytostirenvyandjealousytowardsthem;pessimumgenusinimicorumlaudantium;insomuchasitwasaproverbamongsttheGrecians;thathethatwaspraisedtohishurt,shouldhaveapushriseuponhisnose:aswesay;thatablisterwillriseuponone’stongue,thattellsalie.Certainlymoderatepraise,usedwithopportunity,andnotvulgar,isthatwhichdoththegood.Solomonsaith,Hethatpraisethhisfriendaloud,risingearly,itshallbetohimnobetterthanacurse.Toomuchmagnifyingofmanormatterdothirritatecontradiction,andprocureenvyandscornWANOptimization.Topraiseaman’sselfcannotbedecent,exceptitbeinrarecases:buttopraiseaman’sofficeorprofession,hemaydoitwithgoodgrace,andwithakindofmagnanimity.ThecardinalsofRome,whicharetheologues,andfriars,andschoolmen,haveaphraseofnotablecontemptandscorntowardscivilbusiness:fortheycallalltemporalbusiness,ofwars,embassages,judicature,andotheremployments,sbirrerie;whichis,under-sheriffries;asiftheywerebutmattersforunder-sheriffsandcatchpoles;thoughmanytimes,thoseunder-sheriffriesdomoregoodthantheirhighspeculations.St.Paul,whenheboastsofhimself,hedothoftinterlace;Ispeaklikeafool;butspeakingofhiscalling,hesaith;magnificaboapostolatummeumjoyetechevicvtcmini.