generous　actions　of　former　ages；　putting　one　vile　interpretation　or
  another　upon　them；　and　forging　and　supposing　vain　causes　and　motives　for
  the　noble　things　they　did：　a　mighty　subtlety　indeed！　　Give　me　the
  greatest　and　most　unblemished　action　that　ever　the　day　beheld；　and　I　will
  contrive　a　hundred　plausible　drifts　and　ends　to　obscure　it。　　God　knows；
  whoever　will　stretch　them　out　to　the　full；　what　diversity　of　images　our
  internal　wills　suffer　under。　　They　do　not　so　maliciously　play　the
  censurers；　as　they　do　it　ignorantly　and　rudely　in　all　their　detractions。
  The　same　pains　and　licence　that　others　take　to　blemish　and　bespatter
  these　illustrious　names；　I　would　willingly　undergo　to　lend　them　a
  shoulder　to　raise　them　higher。　　These　rare　forms；　that　are　culled　out　by
  the　consent　of　the　wisest　men　of　all　ages；　for　the　world's　example；
  I　should　not　stick　to　augment　in　honour；　as　far　as　my　invention　would
  permit；　in　all　the　circumstances　of　favourable　interpretation；　and　we　may
  well　believe　that　the　force　of　our　invention　is　infinitely　short　of　their
  merit。　　'Tis　the　duty　of　good　men　to　portray　virtue　as　beautiful　as　they
  can；　and　there　would　be　nothing　wrong　should　our　passion　a　little
  transport　us　in　favour　of　so　sacred　a　form。　　What　these　people　do；　on　the
  contrary；　they　either　do　out　of　malice；　or　by　the　vice　of　confining　their
  belief　to　their　own　capacity；　or；　which　I　am　more　inclined　to　think；　for
  not　having　their　sight　strong；　clear；　and　elevated　enough　to　conceive　the
  splendour　of　virtue　in　her　native　purity：　as　Plutarch　complains；　that　in
  his　time　some　attributed　the　cause　of　the　younger　Cato's　death　to　his
  fear　of　Caesar；　at　which　he　seems　very　angry；　and　with　good　reason；　and
  by　this　a　man　may　guess　how　much　more　he　would　have　been　offended　with
  those　who　have　attributed　it　to　ambition。　　Senseless　people！　　He　would
  rather　have　performed　a　noble；　just；　and　generous　action；　and　to　have　had
  ignominy　for　his　reward；　than　for　glory。　　That　man　was　in　truth　a　pattern
  that　nature　chose　out　to　show　to　what　height　human　virtue　and　constancy
  could　arrive。
  But　I　am　not　capable　of　handling　so　rich　an　argument；　and　shall　therefore
  only　set　five　Latin　poets　together；　contending　in　the　praise　of　Cato；
  and；　incidentally；　for　their　own　too。　　Now；　a　well…educated　child　will
  judge　the　two　first；　in　comparison　of　the　others；　a　little　flat　and
  languid；　the　third　more　vigorous；　but　overthrown　by　the　extravagance　of
  his　own　force；　he　will　then　think　that　there　will　be　room　for　one　or　two
  gradations　of　invention　to　come　to　the　fourth；　and；　mounting　to　the　pitch
  of　that；　he　will　lift　up　his　hands　in　admiration；　coming　to　the　last；　the
  first　by　some　space'　（but　a　space　that　he　will　swear　is　not　to　be　filled
  up　by　any　human　wit）；　he　will　be　astounded；　he　will　not　know　where　he　is。
  And　here　is　a　wonder：　we　have　far　more　poets　than　judges　and　interpreters
  of　poetry；　it　is　easier　to　write　it　than　to　understand　it。　　There　is；
  indeed；　a　certain　low　and　moderate　sort　of　poetry；　that　a　man　may　well
  enough　judge　by　certain　rules　of　art；　but　the　true；　supreme；　and　divine
  poesy　is　above　all　rules　and　reason。　　And　whoever　discerns　the　beauty　of
  it　with　the　most　assured　and　most　steady　sight；　sees　no　more　than　the
  quick　reflection　of　a　flash　of　lightning：　it　does　not　exercise；　but
  ravishes　and　overwhelms　our　judgment。　　The　fury　that　possesses　him　who　is
  able　to　penetrate　into　it　wounds　yet　a　third　man　by　hearing　him　repeat
  it；　like　a　loadstone　that　not　only　attracts　the　needle；　but　also　infuses
  into　it　the　virtue　to　attract　others。　　And　it　is　more　evidently　manifest
  in　our　theatres；　that　the　sacred　inspiration　of　the　Muses；　having　first
  stirred　up　the　poet　to　anger；　sorrow；　hatred；　and　out　of　himself；　to
  whatever　they　will；　does　moreover　by　the　poet　possess　the　actor；　and　by
  the　actor　consecutively　all　the　spectators。　　So　much　do　our　passions　hang
  and　depend　upon　one　another。
  Poetry　has　ever　had　that　power　over　me　from　a　child　to　transpierce　and
  transport　me；　but　this　vivid　sentiment　that　is　natural　to　me　has　been
  variously　handled　by　variety　of　forms；　not　so　much　higher　or　lower　（for
  they　were　ever　the　highest　of　every　kind）；　as　differing　in　colour。
  First；　a　gay　and　sprightly　fluency；　afterwards；　a　lofty　and　penetrating
  subtlety；　and　lastly；　a　mature　and　constant　vigour。　　Their　names　will
  better　express　them：　Ovid；　Lucan；　Virgil。
  But　our　poets　are　beginning　their　career：
  〃Sit　Cato；　dum　vivit；　sane　vel　Caesare　major；〃
  ＇〃Let　Cato；　whilst　he　live；　be　greater　than　Caesar。〃
  Martial；　vi。　32＇
  says　one。
  〃Et　invictum；　devicta　morte；　Catonem；〃
  ＇〃And　Cato　invincible；　death　being　overcome。〃
  Manilius；　Astron。；　iv。　87。
  says　the　second。　　And　the　third；　speaking　of　the　civil　wars　betwixt
  Caesar　and　Pompey；
  〃Victrix　causa　diis　placuit；　set　victa　Catoni。〃
  ＇〃The　victorious　cause　blessed　the　gods；　the　defeated　one　Cato。
  〃Lucan；　i。　128。＇
  And　the　fourth；　upon　the　praises　of　Caesar：
  〃Et　cuncta　terrarum　subacta；
  Praeter　atrocem　animum　Catonis。〃
  ＇〃And　conquered　all　but　the　indomitable　mind　of　Cato。〃
  Horace；　Od。；　ii。　1；　23。＇
  And　the　master　of　the　choir；　after　having　set　forth　all　the　great　names
  of　the　greatest　Romans；　ends　thus：
  〃His　dantem　jura　Catonem。〃
  ＇〃Cato　giving　laws　to　all　the　rest。〃AEneid；　viii。　670。＇
  CHAPTER　XXXVII
  THAT　WE　LAUGH　AND　CRY　FOR　THE　SAME　THING
  When　we　read　in　history　that　Antigonus　was　very　much　displeased　with　his
  son　for　presenting　him　the　head　of　King　Pyrrhus　his　enemy；　but　newly
  slain　fighting　against　him；　and　that　seeing　it；　he　wept；　and　that　Rene；
  Duke　of　Lorraine；　also　lamented　the　death　of　Charles；　Duke　of　Burgundy；
  whom　he　had　himself　defeated；　and　appeared　in　mourning　at　his　funeral；
  and　that　in　the　battle　of　D'Auray　（which　Count　Montfort　obtained　over
  Charles　de　Blois；　his　competitor　for　the　duchy　of　Brittany）；　the
  conqueror　meeting　the　dead　body　of　his　enemy；　was　very　much　afflicted　at
  his　death；　we　must　not　presently　cry　out：
  〃E　cosi　avven；　the　l'animo　ciascuna
  Sua　passion　sotto　'l　contrario　manto；
  Ricopre；　con　la　vista　or'chiara；　or'bruna。〃
  ＇〃And　thus　it　happens　that　the　mind　of　each　veils　its　passion　under
  a　different　appearance；　and　beneath　a　smiling　visage；　gay　beneath　a
  sombre　air。〃Petrarch。＇
  When　Pompey's　head　was　presented　to　Caesar；　the　histories　tell　us　that　he
  turned　away　his　face；　as　from　a　sad　and　unpleasing　object。　　There　had
  been　so　long　an　intelligence　and　society　betwixt　them　in　the　management
  of　the　public　affairs；　so　great　a　community　of　fortunes；　so　many　mutual
  offices；　and　so　near　an　alliance；　that　this　countenance　of　his　ought　not
  to　suffer　under　any　misinterpretation；　or　to　be　suspected　for　either
  false　or　counterfeit；　as　this　other　seems　to　believe：
  〃Tutumque　putavit
  Jam　bonus　esse　socer；　lacrymae　non　sponte　cadentes；
  Effudit；　gemitusque　expressit　pectore　laeto；〃
  ＇〃And　now　he　thought　it　safe　to　play　the　kind　father…in…law；
  shedding　forced　tears；　and　from　a　joyful　breast　discharging　sighs
  and　groans。〃Lucan；　ix。　1037。＇
  for　though　it　be　true　that　the　greatest　part　of　our　actions　are　no　other
  than　visor　and　disguise；　and　that　it　may　sometimes　be　true　that
  〃Haeredis　fletus　sub　persona　rises　est；〃
  ＇〃The　heir's　tears　behind　the　mask　are　smiles。〃
  Publius　Syrus；　apud　Gellium；　xvii。　14。＇
  yet；　in　judging　of　these　accidents；　we　are　to　consider　how　much　our　souls
  are　oftentimes　agitated　with　divers　passions。　　And　as　they　say　that　in
  our　bodies　there　is　a　congregation　of　divers　humours；　of　which　that　is
  the　sovereign　which；　according　to　the　complexion　we　are　of；　is　commonly
  most　predominant　in　us：　so；　though　the　soul　have　in　it　divers　motions　to
  give　it　agitation；　yet　must　there　of　necessity　be　one　to　overrule　all　the
  rest；　though　not　with　so　necessary　and　absolute　a　dominion　but　that
  through　the　flexibility　and　inconstancy　of　the　soul；　those　of　less
  authority　may　upon　occasion　reassume　their　place　and　make　a　little　sally
  in　turn。　　Thence　it　is；　that　we　see　not　only　children；　who　innocently
  obey　and　follow　nature；　often　laugh　and　cry　at　the　same　thing；　but　not
  one　of　us　can　boast；　what　journey　soever　he　may　have　in　hand　that　he　has
  the　most　set　his　heart　upon；　but　when　he　comes　to　part　with　his　family
  and　friends；　he　will　find　something　that　troubles　him　within；　and　though
  he　refrain　his　tears　yet　he　puts　foot　in　the　stirrup　with　a　sad　and
  cloudy　countenance。　　And　what　gentle　flame　soever　may　warm　the　heart　of
  modest　and　wellborn　virgins；　yet　are　they　fain　to　be　forced　from　about
  their　mothers'　necks　to　be　put　to　bed　to　their　husbands；　whatever　this
  boon　companion　is　pleased　to　say：
  〃Estne　novis　nuptis　odio　Venus？　　anne　parentum
  Frustrantur　falsis　gaudia　lachrymulis；
  Ubertim　thalami　quasi　intra　limina　fundunt？
  Non；　ita　me　divi；　vera　gemunt；　juverint。〃
  ＇〃Is　Venus　really　so　alarming　to　the　new…made　bride；　or　does