supplied inough to maintaine them in the contrarie vertues, I meane,
fortitude, iustice, liberalitie, and magnanimitie: the Prince hauing all
plentie to vse largesse by, and no want or neede to driue him to do wrong.
Also all the aides that may be to lift vp his courage, and to make him
stout and fearelesse (_augent animos fortunae_) saith the _Mimist_, and
very truly, for nothing pulleth downe a mans heart so much as aduersitie
and lacke. Againe in a meane man prodigalitie and pride are faultes more
reprehensible then in Princes, whose high estates do require in their
countenance, speech & expense, a certaine extraordinary, and their
functions enforce them sometime to exceede the limites of mediocritie not
excusable in a priuat person, whose manner of life and calling hath no
such exigence. Besides the good and bad of Princes is more exemplarie, and
thereby of greater moment then the priuate persons. Therefore it is that
the inferiour persons, with their inferiour vertues haue a certaine
inferiour praise, to guerdon their good with, & to comfort them to
continue a laudable course in the modest and honest life and behauiour.
But this lyeth not in written laudes so much as in ordinary reward and
commendation to be giuen them by the mouth of the superiour magistrate.
For histories were not intended to so generall and base a purpose, albeit
many a meane souldier & other obscure persons were spoken of and made
famous in stories, as we finde of _Irus_ the begger, and _Thersites_ the
glorious noddie, whom _Homer_ maketh mention of. But that happened (& so
did many like memories of meane men) by reason of some greater personage
or matter that it was long of, which therefore could not be an vniuersall
case nor chaunce to euery other good and vertuous person of the meaner
sort. Wherefore the Poet in praising the maner of life or death of anie
meane person, did it by some litle dittie or Epigram or Epitaph in fewe
verses & meane stile conformable to his subiect. So haue you how the
immortall gods were praised by hymnes, the great Princes and heroicke
personages by ballades of praise called _Encomia_, both of them by