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THE SECOND BOOKE 439
doth ordinarily make me conversant are for the most
part such as have little care for the manuring of the
soule, and to whom nothing is proposed for chiefe
felicitie but honour, and for absolute perfection but
valour. Whatsoever I see or beauteous or worthy in
any other man, I willingly commend and regard ; yea,
and I often endeare my selfe with what I thinke of it,
and allow my selfe to lie so farre forth : for I cannot
invent a false subject. I willingly witness with my
friends what I finde praise-worthy in them. And of au
inch of valour, I willingly make an inch and a halfe;
but to lend them qualities they have not, I cannot; and
openly to defend their imperfections, I may not: yea,
bee they mine enemies, I shall sincerely give them their
due in witnessing their worth or honour. My affection
may change ; my judgement never. And I confound
not my quarrell with other circumstances that are impertinent
and belong not unto it. And I am so jealous
of the liberty of my judgement, that for what passion
soever I can hardly quit it. I wrong my selfe more in
lying than him of whom I lie. This commendable and
generous custome of the Persian nation is much noted;
they speake very honourably and justly of their mortall
enemies, and with those with whom they were at deadly
fude and warre, so farre forth as the merit of their
vertue deserved. I know divers men who have sundry
noble and worthy parts; some wit, some courage, some
dexteritie, some conscience, some a readinesse in speech,
some one science, and some another: but of a great
man in generally and that hath so many excellent parts
together, or but one in such a degree of excellencie as
hee may thereby be admired, or but compared to those
of former ages whom we honour, my fortune hath not
permitted me to see one. And the greatest I ever knew
living (I meane of naturall parts of the minde, and the
best borne) was Estienne de la Boetie. Verily it was a
compleat minde, and who set a good face and shewed a
faire countenance upon all matters; a minde after the old
stampe, and which, had fortune therewith beene pleased,
would no doubt have brought forth wondrous effects,