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CHAPTER XXV
BOW A HAN SHOULD NOT COUNTERFEIT TO BE SICKE
THERE is an epigram in Martiall that may pass for a
good one (for there are of all sorts in him), wherein he
pleasantly relateth the storie of Caelius, who to avoide
the courting of certaine great men in Rome, to give
attendance at their rising, and to waite, assist and
follow them, fained to he troubled with the goute ; and
to make his excuse more likely, he caused his legges
to be ointed and swathed and lively counterfeted the
behaviour and countenance of a goutie man. In the
end fortune did him the favour to make him goutie
indeede.
Tantum cura potest et art doloris,
Desnt Jingere Calais podagram. 1
So much the care and cunning can of paine:
Caelius (growne gowty) leaves the gowt to faine.
As farre as I remember I have read a like history in
some place of Appian, of one who, purposing to escape
the proscriptions of the Triumvirat of Rome, and to
conceale himselfe from the knowledge of those who
pursued him, kept himselfe close and disguised, adding
this other invention to it, which was to counterfeit
blindnes in one eye, who when he came somewhat to
recover his liberty, and would have left off the plaster
he had long time worne over his eyes, he found that
under that mask he had altogether lost the sight of it.
It may be the action of his sight was weakned, having
so long continued without exercise and the usual vertue
was wholly converted into the other eye. For we majr
plainly perceive that holding one eye shut, it convaietn
¹ MART. 1. vii. Epig. xxxviii. 8.
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