-culties, ought to be preferred before that of the Romans, which was assisted with all advantages that could be desired. If it be demanded, Why then did not our kings finish the conquest, as Casar had done ? My answer may be, I hope : without offence) That our kings were like the race of Eacida; of whom the old poet Ennius gave this note, Belli potentes sunt mag'e quam sapienti potentes. "They were more warlike than politic." Whoso notes their proceedings, may find, that none of them went to work like a conqueror, save only King Henry V. the course of whose victories it pleased God to interrupt by his death. But this question is the more easily answered if another be first made: Why did not the Romans attempt the conquest of Gaul before the time of Casar ? Why not after the Macedonian war? Why not after the third Punic, or after the Numantian? At all these times they had good leisure; and then, especially, had they botl leisure and fit opportunity, when, under the conduct of Marius, they had newly vanquished the Cimbri and Teutones, by whom the country of Gaul had been piteously wasted. Surely, the words of Tully were true, that with other nations, the Romans fought for dominion; with the Gauls for preservation of their own safety. Therefore they attempted not the conquest of Gaul, until they were lords of all other countries to them known. We, on the other side, held only the one half of our own island, the other half being inhabited by a nation (unless, perhaps iu wealth and numbers of men, somewhat inferior) every way equal to ourselves; a nation anciently and strongly allied to our enemies, the French; and in that regard, enemy to us. So that our danger lay both before and behind us, and the greater danger at our backs; where commonly we felt, always we feared a stronger invasion by land, than we could make upon France, transporting our forces over sea. It is usual with men that have pleased themselves in admiring the matters which they find in ancient histories, to hold it a great injury done to their judgment, if any take upon him, by way of comparison, to extol the things of latter ages. But I am well persuaded, that as the divided virtue of this our island, hath given more noble proof of itself, than under so worthy a leader, that Roman army could do, which afterwards could win Rome and all her empire, making Cæsar a monarch; so hereafter, by God's blessing, who, hath converted our greatest hindrance into our greatest help, the enemy that shall dare to try our forces, will find cause to wish, that, avoiding us, he had rather encountered as great a puissance as was that of the Roman empire.* SIR WALTER RALEGH. * Let those persons (for such there are, clothed in the English garb) who always feel a self satisfaction in extolling the superior discipline and bravery of the French, examine these judicious remarks of one of the most illus FLATTERY. No flattery, boy! an honest man can't live by 't:. Use to cajole and soften fools withal. If thou hast flattery in thy nature, out with it; OTWAY. TAKE care thou be not made a fool by flatterers; for even the wisest men are abused by these. Know, therefore, that flatterers are the worst kind of traitors, for they will strengthen thy imperfections, encourage thee in all evils, correct thee in nothing, but so shadow and paint all thy vices and follies, as thou shalt never, by their will, discern evil from good, or vice from virtue. SIR WALTER RALEGH. BECAUSE all men are apt to flatter themselves, to entertain the addition of other men's praises, is most perilous; do not therefore praise thyself, except thou wilt be counted a vain-glorious fool; trious worthies of our nation. These gentry might, perhaps, with some degree of plausibility, contend that our national prowess is fallen 'to a ́very low ebb, compared to the eminence it attained in the days of our Edwards and Henrys, were it not, unfortunately for them, but most glorious for the country, that the victories of Alexandria, Maida, Talavera, Barossa, &c. &c. afford such striking illustrations of the ancient characteristic bravery and intrepidity of the English soldier. neither take delight in the praises of other men, except thou deserve it, and receive it from such as are worthy and honest, and will withal warn thee of thy faults; for flatterers have never any virtue, they are ever base creeping cowardly persons. SIR WALTER RALECH. A FLATTERER is said to be a beast that biteth smiling. It is said by Isaiah in this manner, "My people, they that praise thee seduce thee, "and disorder the paths of thy feet;" and David desired God to cut out the tongue of a flatterer. But it is hard to know them from friends; so are they obsequious and full of protestations, for as a wolf resembles a dog, so doth a flatterer a friend. A flatterer is compared to an ape, who, because she cannot defend the house like a dog, labour as an ox, or bear burdens as a horse, doth therefore yet play tricks and provoke laughter. IBID. TRUE it is, that flatterers are a kind of vermin, which poison all the princes of the world, and yet they prosper better than the worthiest and valiantest men do, and I wonder not at it, for it is a world, and our Saviour Jesus Christ hath told us, that the world will love her own. IBID. Ꮮ THE evidence of different education, Holy Writ affords us in the contemplation of David and Rehoboam; the one prepared by many afflictions for a flourishing kingdom, the other softened by the unparalleled prosperity of Solomon's court, and so corrupted, to the great diminution both for peace, honour, and kingdom, by those flatteries, which are as inseparable from prosperous princes, as flies are from fruit in summer; whom adversity, like cold weather, drives away. KING CHARLES. GREAT lords, by reason of their flatterers, are the first that know their own virtues, and the last that know their own vices. SELDEN. IF a man flatter and commend you to your face, or to one that he thinks will tell you of it, it is a thousand to one, either he hath deceived and abused you, or means to do so. Remember the fable of the fox, commending the singing of the crow, when she had somewhat in her mouth that the fox liked. SIR MATTHEW HALE. Gross flattery can by fools alone be borne, |