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THE SECOND BOOKE 305
with a Lord of Persia, Darius chanced to come in with
his sword in his hand, and fearing to strike for feare he
should hurt Gobrias, he called unto him, and bade him
smite boldly, although he should smite through both. 1
I have heard armes and conditions of single combates
being desperate, and in which he that offered them put
both himselfe and his enemie in danger of an end
inevitable to both, reproved as unjust, and condemned
as unlawfull. The Portugals took once certaine Turkes
prisoners in the Indian Seas, who, impatient of their
capacity, resolved with themselves (and their resolution
succeeded) by rubbing of Ship-nailes one against
another, and causing sparkes of fire to fall amongst the
barrels of powder (which lay not far from them) with
intent to consume both themselves, their masters, and
the ship. We but touch the skirts, and glance at the
last closings of Sciences, wherein extremity, as well as
in vertue, is vicious. Keepe your selves in the common
path, it is not good to be so subtill and so curious.
Remember what the Italian proverbe saith,
Chi troppo assottiglia, si scavezza.*
Who makes himselfe too fine,
Doth break himselfe in fine.
I perswade you, in your opinions and discourses, as
much as in your customes, and in every other thing,
to use moderation and temperance, and avoide all
newfangled inventions and strangenesse. All extravagant
waies displease me. You, who by the
authoritie and preheminence which your greatnesse
hath laied upon you, and more by the advantages
which the qualities that are most your owne, bestow
on you, may with a nod command whom you please,
should have laied this charge upon some one that
had made profession of learning, who might otherwise
have disposed and enriched this fantasie. Notwithstanding
here have you enough to supply your wants
of it. Epicurus said of the lawes that the worst were
so necessary unto us, that without them men would
¹ JUSTIN, 1. i. ² PETR. p. i. canz. xiii. 48.
II. x